The Other Side to Omega
by Akari78
Summary: Vast cast of OCs. When a strange girl turns up in the allys of Omega no one was prepared to the change she would bring. Her tech skills bringing much unwanted attention, and gang interest, Athena is forced to survive Omega with the help of strangers. Even Aria wants her to work for her! But its hard to survive the unknown when you don't have any memories to guide you. Set in ME2.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I have no idea how it happened. There was a blinding light, an ear-splitting scream, and the most uncomfortable feeling ever. Then nothing.

Nothing at all.

I just drifted there, floating lost in a blank world. Darkness enveloped me, though my body glowed with a ghostly white. There was no sound, or light beyond my body. The air – if there was any – held no warmth or chill. I blinked my eyes, still nothing there.

Then just as sudden as my world had vanished, a new one formed. At first only blobs and dark greys took shape. But slowly, it became more vibrant, more defined. There was the sky, slowly moving above me. By the light given it should be around midnight.

_So then where were the stars? _No matter how many times I searched the endless black sky, I found none. Then I noticed that I was surrounded by large buildings of shiny metal. There was a strange text hovering on it, in a language I couldn't understand; it didn't even look Human to me!

There were all these different sources of light around me, but it was all just kind of there. Then I took notice of the ground, it was vibrating some. It was also cold and metal with trash strewn across it.

That's when the sound hit. This whole time everything was muffled and slow. But in a single moment, it all came at me. Hitting me hard.

Car honks, a low hum, water running, a loud whirring sound, gunshots, shouts, glass shatters, screams, yells, people running, people laughing, growls, moving trashcans, deep club beats. It hurt so much that I clenched my ears and screamed.

Then one single smell filled my senses. IT was so horrid that I gagged, my eyes watered, and lungs tightened even more. It was like raw sewage mixed with alcohol and blood.

I lay there gagging, crying, body aching and wondering where the heck I was. My dark curled hair fell around me, longer then I remember it ever being. It was to my waist instead of my lower neck. I pulled my hands away from my ears, though they were still ringing.

That was when I noticed my fingers were longer, even my arms and legs seemed bigger, longer, leaner. All of this, and other changes led me to one solid yet crazy conclusion.

I had aged multiple years in a matter of moments.

I wondered how tall I was for a moment. I would have pondered that and more important things if a loud whirling sound hadn't suddenly come to me. I searched the dark, starless sky to find an amazing image.

A FLYING CAR!

It was a sleek, deep red shaded, car. I couldn't spot any other ones around so I simply stared at it in awe. There were no wings or wheels on it, but instead some small jets that were being adjusted on the back. The cabin was large, probably two rows of seats inside. Its windows were tinted black and I could see the pilot… or driver.

I was so focused on the car, with the door being the whole top and left side of the cabin, to really notice the driver as it stepped out. In a few seconds it had landed and was coming over. The pilot was against silhouetted against the weird lights hanging around. "Hey you alright?" The voice is gruff so it has to be a male.

He reaches me, and I can somewhat pick out some details. Such as his hair is gelled back into multiple spikes that extend off the back of his head, his shoulders are broad, torso trimmed and appendages long and muscled. He is also rather tall, but still his face is masked in darkness.

"Hey you ok?" He asks me, slightly shaking my shoulders to make sure I'm awake. I'm not certain when I had moved up to lean against the cold metal wall. Maybe he did that?

I try to find my voice but it's gone. Instead I make a weird squeal-like sound. "I'm gonna take that as a yes." He says and extends his left hand to me, offering help up. I gladly take it. _JESUS HE'S STRONG! _In only a few moments, no more like less then a single moment, he has me on my feet. My head is spinning greatly.

He pulls his hand back, _But why was there only three fingers? _I don't a chance to think, there is another set of gunshots nearby. I jump, squealing, and practically tackle him. With both of us on the ground, his face is in the weird light. I nearly scream at what I behold.

Scales or plates, large across the face, wide flat nose, small brown eyes surrounded by black skin. The scales are a dark chocolate brown color, the plates stop at the back of the neck revealing a slightly lighter brown layer of skin. I look at his mouth, _Wait… ARE THOSE MANDIBALS? _There is a row of sharp teeth shown as he grunts at the impact.

That's also when I noticed that he did not have hair. Instead it was some kind of hard fringe. Out of politeness, and maybe intelligence, I probably shouldn't have reached out and run my hand along the hard fringe. But I was just to stunned to be polite. _He's an alien! A FREAKING ALIEN! I'm freaking out here, yet he's not… Why the heck is he NOT flipping out? Oh my god he's an alien!_

I lay there screaming in my head while on the outside I'm frozen. He places his three-fingered hands on my shoulders and pushes me up and off him. I sat on my knees while he gets up and dusts off the green tunic-like outfit. "Well that was unexpected." The mandibles twitch as he speaks. "Look I know you don't know me. But trust me when I say its not safe here. The gunshots testify to that! I can take you somewhere safe." He offered me his hand; I freeze again, mind whirling.

I gave him a weird look, actually thinking on his offer. The alien politely waits. Perhaps I was out of it; I mean why should I have trusted a stranger, not to mention an alien, so quickly? Even if said stranger came from wherever it was he had been before, to check on me.

I looked at his open, three-fingered hand; his kind considerate yet strikingly predatory eyes and his mandibles and the way they seemed to be pulled into a slight understanding smile. When I took notice of the white, intricate markings all across his dark chocolate face plates; they were so intriguing I just had to know more. I decided to trust him, and took his hand.

In a moment he responded, pulled me to the flying car, opened the door and we hoped in. I waited for him to start the car, but as I reached back for a seat belt one jumped out of the seat and formed rather comfortably to my body.

I squealed… again, gaining a chorus of laughter from the scaled alien. There was a moment of waiting before a light flickered on the dashboard and a holographic display appeared around the steering wheel. It took me only a moment to notice the steering wheel was adjusted for flight more then ground driving, though it retained a circular shape. Here I was, sitting in an alien's flying car, no idea where I was, how I got here, or if this stranger has other intentions.

No matter how hard I try, which would be several times, I couldn't think about anything but the alien. _Where did he come from? What was his name? What did his species call themselves? Judging by his teeth was he a carnivore? If so would he eat me? Where was he taking me? Where was the thing we were in anyways? Is there more of his kind around? What will he do if there is?_

I started internally freaking out but kept as calm as possible on the outside. He seemed oblivious, focused only on taking us somewhere else. I felt my spine tingle in anticipation; he was about to take us up.

It was kind of like an elevator, that sudden lurch and then subtle, relaxing sensation. Well that sudden lurch got me, I squealed… loudly, gaining yet another chorus of laughter from he scaled alien. Pretending to be insulted I pouted and lightly shed a tear or two.

That got him; he instantly begins apologizing, and tries to wipe my tears away with one of his three fingers. I have to admit, I was stunned; so stunned I stared at him, and felt a smile cross my face. I bottled up the rising feelings and tried to distract myself by searching the sky outside.

But to my wonder it was all dark again. The weird lights had been put out or turned off. The only light came from his headlights. He slowly started to move us, but then we were speeding, moving at was to me light-speed.

He turned sharply, and then we were at a stoplight. It seemed to me that a stoplight was pointless when you can fly in the sky all to easy. I started drifting off into a daydream.

It was odd, trying to think of my past, trying to relive a memory, and not finding anything.

Then a gruff voice broke the silence. "What's your name?" He asks me. I pause and think. I actually have to think of my name?

"I… I don't know…" I finally admit. He stares at me, making my skin crawl.

But after a moment he nodded his head. "Well I'm Marco." The alien introduces himself. "And it seems your voice has returned." Marco says. I nod, a slight smile on my face.

The light turns green after the long stop and he begins moving us once again, slower this time. "So if you can't remember your name or just don't have one. What would you like to be called?"

I purse my lips in thought, my eyebrows furrow as well. There was nothing for me to think of, no memory of things I held or hold dear. It was like there was nothing there. "I don't know, how about you name me?"

Marco blinks, "Ok… How about… AJ? No? Alright… Ellen? Sarah? What are some good human names?" He scratched at one of the plates on his cheek. Marco continues to spewl off random names that don't really grab me. But then he said one that did.

"Alexis? Jasmine? Athena? Sierra-"

"Wait go back!" I cut him off.

"Sierra?" His voice is nervous at my reaction.

"No, did you say… Athena?" I ask him trying to think. Marco stared at me, then after a second he nodded his head. I felt a sharp pang in my head. The name, it sounded… familiar. I had no idea if it was my name or someone I knew.

"Do you like it?" Marco asks me and I nod my head energetically. Then a huge smile breaks out across his face, his mandibles pull back, his snapping portion of the mouth opens wide and his chest is racked with laughter.

It was then that we turned and I as assaulted by a large, holographic billboard. I covered my eyes at the burst of red, blue and white light. Slowly I moved my arm away, squinting and took it in.

There was a blue, with purple hues, skinned lady. She had bold and definite features, high cheekbones, no ears. There were folds of skin on the back of her neck that seemed to connect to some sort tendrils on the top of her head. The tendrils extended slightly off her head in a bun-like shape.

She had defiant, blue eyes, slightly narrowed. Covering her head were multiple dark blue tattoos. One was a rectangle running down the muddle of her bottom lip to her chin. One tattoo on each of her cheeks, in intricate designs that connected on her forehead. When they crossed above her eyes they made two eyebrows of sorts. Two tiny lines that arches upward over the bridge of the nose was all that connected them.

Despite the foreign face I was starting at, I was seeing nothing short of a beautiful, and alien, amazing face. "That's Aria T'Loak." Marco says.

I turn in the seat and give him an interested look. "What is she?" I ask with almost a need to find out.

"She's an Asari, an all female race- Wait! Why don't you know what an Asari is? Do you even know what I am!" Marco has stopped the car, throwing us both forward for a brief moment.

I grimaced, and shook my head, shrugging.

"I'm a Turian. One of the four council races." He takes a second before realizing what I couldn't. "You've got amnesia!" He slaps his forehead.

But I don't believe it. "I can remember-" I can't remember anything except random knowledge and a girl, not the fully-grown woman I am now. "I remember a girl… and random stuff, but that's it…" I feel another pang and stop trying to remember.

"So who is Aria T'Loak?" I ask, trying to change the topic.

"Ruler of Omega." Marco starts moving us again.

"Where's that?" I've got a pretty good idea by now.

"Here… Aria T'Loak IS Omega."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**

**Ok I'm seriously sorry everyone for the retarded lateness on this one. With school/holidays, stress, my com crashing for a little while (it was either Wrex and the Ryncol or Liara flayed it alive) and seriously loosing the written version of this for a little while I wasn't getting any work done. Also the original file on this site was deleted from the whole 'life' thing so I had to start over. I'm seriously kicking myself over this and I'm sorry Faith's Fangs for the really long wait after I said it shouldn't be too long! Now onto the story!**

* * *

Chapter 2

It took us a half hour before we got to his place, a large towering building hanging from the rock sky. Marco landed us in some parking garage, a few of the flying cars just waiting idly in the area. A few people were nearby, but otherwise it was empty. We climbed out and he led me to an elevator, a weird screen of green light in front of the doors. He pressed it, and the doors opened. "Don't squeal this time." He teased the moment we were inside the elevator. I snort with annoyance, which seems to only amuse him further, mandibles twitching slightly. I managed to keep quiet as the lift jerked to life, bringing us up to the tenth level. The doors opened up at an apartment looking hallway, fairly plain and dim.

I hadn't taken three steps out the elevator before Marco let out an enraged growl like sound. I jumped back with shock as he ran over and began to type things on another little holographic display on what I assumed was his apartment's door. As I walked over more cautiously, I could just make out the number 1712 painted on the metal wall next to it. "Marco?" I questioned, trying to sound calm despite the creeping sensation going up my spine.

"Damn Blue Suns!" I heard him curse as I took a few steps closer towards him. I gazed at the display, this one red instead of the green I'd seen before. I looked back at the closed elevator, and sure enough it was green as well. Is it locked? The thought seemed likely enough, but I didn't want to make an assumption with such little knowledge about the weird tech stuff. Marco pushed himself up and off the door, anger shining in his predator eyes. He began scratching at his face plates again, as if in thought or something. "The Blue Suns mercs keep locking me out of my apartment." The Turian muttered, I wasn't sure if he was really talking to me or not as he went on in a quieter tone, "Its usually only when I miss a drop. Did I? Could have sworn I haven't sense last time..."

"Marco, I'm lost." I simply stated, trying not to sound too blunt.

He looked at me quizzically for a moment, and then nodded as if remembering that I had no idea what was up. "Right sorry. Its just... I think they rewired my whole system. I don't exactly work for the Blue Suns, but I live in their 'turf'." He made a finger quote with the turf, as if insulted by the thought. "But trust me I don't." He made a gesture to emphasize it. Marco scratched at his face plates some more as he turned and began to mutter on some more about calling a technician or something. I gave him a quick glance, his back was turned to the door now. I moved over to it, having to crouch in order to reach it right. With a sudden urge to, I don't even know what, I began running my hands through the holographic light. Little bits of it became brighter, and it tickled my fingers. I withheld a giggle, and set to work. The weird sensation of touching light soon passed as I began to move my fingers through it, the light following with a determination not to get lost from my fingers. After I connected them this way and that in a way I didn't even know I knew how to, there was a look _Dook_ like sound as the display turned green and the door swung open.

Marco turned to me, confusion contorting his face plates. "How did you? But..? What?" He stammered until he simply seemed to have shrugged it off.

"I don't really know... I just knew I could open it. I don't get it, its just-" I started to explain best I could.

"Its ok Athena, you don't have to explain yourself to me." Marco suddenly cut me off, a small smile crossing his face, "So long as you don't break into my house unless I'm locked out again." He winked at me and then entered his apartment leaving me confused for a moment before I followed. I instantly took in the interesting scenery. We were at the moment in a front little area, a dark brown metallic color on the walls making it feel closed in and cozy. The only thing from keeping it feel to dark was a fat white stripe that ran along the center of the walls. On the right wall was a picture of Marco, as well as a few others of the Omega station. There was a fish tank on the left, next to a calender and wall clock. I blinked, staring at the three neon green fish and a single bright pink fish that were within the tank. Each had a large fan-like tail that kept me watching for a moment or two. Marco's cough dragging me back to reality, freeing me from the memorizing neon fish.

He stood further in the apartment, a door on the right and an open area on the left, suggesting a loft or living room was there. He turned, and kept walking, instantly turning to the left and vanishing from sight. I followed as swiftly as I could without making a fool of myself, and nearly tripped over the small three steps that led to the lowered living room. There were two sheen sofas, a coffee table and a screen on the wall that was pitch black. Next to the screen was a series of shelves that held a different assortment of things that confused me at a first glance. "What is that?" I asked, pointing at the black screen.

Marco didn't even look over, he seemed preoccupied with something else behind me, "A TV." I heard him open a door behind me as I got near the TV, confused again. It suddenly flickered on, a human suddenly showing on the screen. There was a video playing next to her, showing clips of a place I didn't recognize. There was a weird boarder around the clip and the woman as it played, joining the showing mid-viewing.

"-floating jail ship Purgatory houses some of the galaxy's worst criminals." The woman said, the clip flickering to a setting of cells and imprisoned people. I don't know what happened, my sight just suddenly started blurring, my head growing lightheaded as she went on."Constantly in orbit, this jailhouse is inescapable. The prisoners live under a constant watch, leaving non left unchecked."

I felt my head swim, making my clench my teeth in pain and grab at my head to still it. When I looked up I wasn't in Marco's apartment anymore. There was three walls of darkness around me, I turned and saw a wall of white light. I ran towards it, only to get knocked back by something unseen. Stumbling back up in pain, I walked slower, hands out to feel for what had stopped me. It was... a wall, a clear wall that teased and tortured me with freedom so nearby, and yet unreachable. I screamed in panic, pounding my hands on the wall in a fury that made my whole body ache. I wasn't going to be able to get out, there was no way. I'm trapped in here, I wasn't going to get out, there was no way. Trapped-

"Nikolas! No!" Marco's shout dragged me back to reality, where I was standing still and free. The sound of claws scratching metal filled the room, and I had only turned just enough to see a hulking mass fling itself towards me. Next thing I knew, I was on the ground, trapped once again. Horror froze me still again, and a mouth opened up as a huge pink tongue licked my face. At last I regained control of my body, and sputtered about in confusion, hands trying to find the strength to push it off me. Huge pupiless orb black eyes looked down at me, surprisingly calm despite the attack. In fast, as I calmed down and gazed back with uncertainly at the eyes, I found a friend rather then an enemy.

Marco had quickly come over and pushed on the creature's flank until it got off me begrudgingly. The Turian extended a hand to help me up, which I gladly took. Once up Marco handed me a towel, making my brow furrow in confusion. "Why do I-" I cut myself off, my face was sticky. I quickly accepted the towel, rubbing it against my face to clean myself.

Once I felt it was all off, I turned to look warily at the animal. It had scales almost, deep red with a brown underneath. Down the flank was a long pale brown stripe that looked rather skin-like. It had a tail probably the length of my arm, and its head wasn't raised very high above the torso giving it a stunted look. It yawned, revealing many long, glistening fangs that sent a chill up my spine. The many little spines going down its neck and back gave it both an intimidating and yet adorable look, and its shimmering skin made me thing of the fish in Marco's tank. The behavior was rather interesting though as Nikolas sat down, looking at its owner with blank eyes as it was scolded.

"Nikolas! She's a guest so behave!" Marco said, one of his hands shaking in a scolding fashion. Nikolas simply simply wagged its tail, tongue lolling out the side of its mouth. "Sorry, he's the worst guard Varren possible!" Marco said in an apologetic tone that quickly became playful. "Always napping, always playing and always licking strangers! I swear by the Spirits a merc could come in here and all he'd do is try to get them to play with him!" The Turian was gazing at his pet with a gleam in his eyes, a hand petting its wide head.

Nikolas then stood up, and began sniffing at my feet with a curiosity that made me smile for some reason. "So he's a Varren?" I repeated, looking at Marco in an attempt to ignore the wet breath on my ankles.

"Yeah," Marco nodded, laughter littering his voice. "But unlike every single other Varren alive, this one wouldn't even hurt a Pyjack." As life would have it, a sharp pressure suddenly swarmed up my left leg, heat flaring with the pain.

"OW!" I shouted, grabbing my left leg as I tore it away from Nikolas. I looked down at the bitten leg, grumbling in pain as it began to pulse painfully. Marco simply watched as I bounced up and down painfully until I stumbled backwards onto the nearest sofa. I scowled at the reddening tan skin, gritting my teeth as flesh burned with pain. The couch lurched to the right as Marco sat next to me, making my body pulse with heat at how close he had to get to inspect the wound. He gently moved my hand from where I had had it, and looked at the wound. Blood was already falling from it, the red liquid dripping down my leg left a chilling sensation behind it. I could feel the skin burning on the other side of my leg, and if it wasn't for Marco's steady hand I would have twisted it over to look and see if the skin had been broken on both sides of my legs. "Ow..." I muttered as Marco moved my leg, twisting injured skin by accident as he looked at the other side. Without saying anything he got up and left the couch, heading to the door I had seen on the right earlier.

"Is that bad?" I asked after him, and after I didn't get an answer I asked again, "Is it?" There was still no reply, and worry quickly gave way to frustration at his sudden silence. "Marco! Is it bad!" I nearly shouted, gritting my teeth in pain again. He simply poked his head out of the room the door led to, a small grin upon his face plates. I snorted in annoyance, the muscles around my leg were pulsing hot now, making it uncomfortable to move it anymore. The heavy footfalls of the Turian's return made me look back up again. He held a small tube in his right hand and a towel over his shoulder. Marco then crouched down as he twisted the cap off the tube and placed it on the ground next to us.

Once he was certain the tube wouldn't tip over and spill whatever it's contents was, he took the small brown towel off his shoulder and started to wipe the blood off my leg. He nodded, and I turned my leg so he could see the bloodier side of it. I could just make out a grimace as it crossed his face plates, but then it was gone. It was rather surprising that he was being so gentle with me, a complete stranger after all. He didn't rub the towel in, nor was he twisting my leg or something else equally painful. Instead he was simply cleaning the wound, and then after a quick once over he picked up the open tube again. I watch in confusion as he tipped the open tube and a grey goop dripped onto his now empty hand. I crinkled my nose in disgust as he placed the tube down, and rubbed a finger in the goop until a decent amount was on it.

"Ew..." I mumbled under my breath as he rubbed it against the bite on the front of my leg.

"Well hold still!" He growled back at my, his right elbow suddenly grabbing my foot and pinned it next to his leg. I yelp slightly in pain, and glare down at him for a moment. At a nod of his head, I turned my leg so that the other side of the wound was presenting itself to him. I cringed at how bloody this side looked already, even after Marco had cleaned it. The grimace that reformed on Marco's face was enough to tell he shared my disappointment. I gritted my teeth as he cleaned it once again and less gently slapped the goop on the wound. I shuddered at how cold it felt.

"What is that stuff?" I asked, wincing at its tingling, sticky, cold feel on the fresh wounds.

Marco straightened up before he answered, the towel once again in hand as he wiped this hands clean. "Medi-gel, it'll fix you right up." He moves his right hand over his left arm and literally out of nowhere an orange, large and floating glove-shaped looking thing appears. The broken up square holographic screens instantly caught my attention. I could see groups of text scrolling up them, and I blinked but it was still there. Not loosing it just yet. Marco pressed it a few times, and then it was gone and all I felt was a sudden heat swell up my leg. As quick as it had happened, the heat was gone and I peered anxiously down only to see perfectly, undamaged tan skin. "Medi-gel's some good stuff huh?" I could hear him tease, but only nodded dumbly in response.

Nikolas moved over himself to investigate, sniffing over where the wound had been. I could have sworn I saw disappointment flash in his blank black eyes; but the Varren simply turned and headed over to a corner of the living room before settling down. "He's never actually bitten someone before." Marco said, catching me off guard.

"Lucky me then." I laughed flatly, finally realizing I could let my leg down.

There was a pause for a little while, neither of us speaking at the moment. "Hungry?" Marco asked, offering me another hand up. He's not going to eat me right? The thought was absurd but still... Then again he would have just done away with me already if he was going to eat me. Or kill me. I shook my head to clear the silly thoughts out of my head, Marco frowned. "You're not?" He asked.

"OH? What no, I am it's just... Nevermind " I stammered, a flush spread across my cheeks before I could stop it. "Lets uhm, yeah just go eat." I quickly said, hoping he didn't suspect my previous thoughts. Marco nodded, and led me back up into the hallway, and turned to the left. Just a few feet from the door that I thought might have been a bathroom, was another open area. This time it was more then obviously a little kitchenette.

There was a large silver refrigerator, a few counters, sink and a stove. There were dark brown cabinets up top directly above the counters. The flooring was still the same metal looking material that I had a feeling was everywhere in the apartment. There was another room across from the entrance from the hallway, and it appeared to be a small dining room. I could just make out the looks of another door on the right side of the dinning room and couldn't squash my instant curiosity. "Where does that door lead to?" I asked, by Marco didn't seem to hear me as he began to rummage through the fridge.

I shrugged, and took a seat down at the little table. I peered around bored, trying to forget all the nagging worries that were piling up at the edge of my head. I can trust him, I have no other choice anyways. Marco seems like a nice guy, after all he got me out of that ally, fixed me up, he's feeding me even! My nervously fingers found their way to a piece of torn cloth, _I need to repay him for all this. _Thoughts surged up and down, violently going about in my head as I began to mule about just what he might be doing. Making himself seem like the nice guy so I would return to him in a way? Tricking me into thinking he cared only to betray me for the highest bidder?

"Athena? You alright?" A deep voice suddenly broke me out of my thoughts, Marco taking a seat across from me with a tray before him. I then realized there was a tray in front of me as well.

"Yeah...I'm fine..." The lie came more easier then I would have thought. So as not to give him a chance to ask more, I picked up the nearest fork and began to eat. There was three different little sectioned portions of the tray, a mushy pale thing in one, a red clumped glob in the other, and lastly a thick delicious smelling chunk of meat in the largest. Hunger I had forgotten about quickly surged, making it all the more difficult not to wolf it down in a few gulps. About halfway though the meat, the mushy thing already devoured, I realized he was simply watching me. Embarrassment instantly sprung up, making me shift ever so slightly how I had been sitting.

Amusement twinkled in the Turian's eyes once I finally worked up the nerve to look at him. "I see you really were hungry." He remarked, face plates contorted into a smile, a brow ridge arched upwards. "I haven't even had time to cut my meat, and you've already devoured your potatoes and half the pork." Fire swept my face as embarrassment made me dart my eyes away from his.

"Well I don't remember when the last time I ate was." I sheepishly said, eyes flittering down to his tray of food. "What is that?" I asked, trying rather obviously to change the topic. He grinned a bit more at me, bits of fanged teeth showing.

"Not quite certain."

"And you're eating it?"

"Nothing else I really could." He shrugged, taking me off guard. "I can't eat the same stuff as you can Athena. I might have a reaction, or I might die if I so much as licked it. Or nothing would happen at all. Best not to risk it." I blinked, those were some seriously extremes.

"Is it the same for me but with your food?"

He simply nodded.

"Then why do you have food I can eat, but could kill you?" My pitch raised slightly with confusion. It didn't seem all to smart to have stuff that could poison you sitting next to the stuff that won't.

Something flashed in his eyes, coldness covering up his friendliness. Did I say something wrong? A simple question right? But the Turian's reaction was so random, I had to have hit a nerve. But what nerve? And why? But just as randomly as his closed-off reaction came, it was replaced by a grim chuckle. Marco leaned back in his chair, a hand reaching up to scratch his faceplates. I sat still and silent as he stemmed to think something over, stopped scratching his face, lifted up the blue drink beside his tray and took a long sip. When he was finished, he placed it back down and crossed his arms.

When he finally spoke, all I heard was grief. "My father's name was Razarin." _Was? _"He, like every good Tursold served in the military. One day he went out on a classified mission in deep space. He never came back. But instead a letter did. One of condolences, that couldn't even tell us what killed him." There was a surge of anger, his talons digging in his arms to a point I was surprised he didn't start bleeding. His words were getting tighter, like he was fighting against something.

I sat there dumbly, not knowing what would be the appropriate thing to do. Should I remain here and silent, or try to comfort him somehow? I decided against the latter, and dipped my head respectfully. There was along silence before he started to talk again. "To answer your question about the food, there was a Human. He was my parents' best friend, and had been so long before I was born. When I was, apparently they thought it appropriate to name me after him." He chuckled a bit, it was lighthearted making me smile slightly. "Marco always was around, for my parents and for me. He was there when we got the letter." The smile was gone.

"How old were you when... You know?"

"Four."

"Marco how old are you now?"

"Twenty-two." The words mealy knocked me out of my seat. He'd been grieving for almost twenty years, yet still acted like it had happened a year ago. I shuddered a little, what was it like to feel that way for so lament years?

"What about Marco and your mom? Where are they now?" It would be an understatement to say his openness and honesty on such a... personal matter was amazing. He had no reason to tell me all this, and yet he was. An alien spilling his history, or the least the more depressing part of it, felt so abnormal and almost wrong. But why?

"Remember anything about the Blue Suns?" Anger had risen in his voice, making me shy away almost. I shook my head slowly, finding myself pressing as far back into the chair as I could. "Well they're a gang of mercenaries. Ruthless thugs who will extort and steal and kill as they please."

He was getting out of his seat, a sudden motion that made Nikolas jump up from where he'd been resting by our feet. "Those bastards don't care if they kill innocents that are just trying to survive on this station. They don't give a fuck as long as they make money or gain turf. They don't care that they killed my mother and Marco!"


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I stared at him, a swell of emotions rose inside of me as I watched with shock as Marco's talons curled around his knife and he stabbed it into the food he had been eating. His eyes had darkened, face plates contorted with his anger. He stormed about the dining room, growling as his mandibles flared with his self-induced rage. I looked over to the window on the wall, taking in the dark landscape of the Omega station in hopes that maybe if I stayed quiet he'd calm down.

But he wasn't, instead he seemed to only be getting worse, a string of curses filled the room as his talons balled into fists and he turned to me. Thinking fast as he seemed to turn his sudden rage upon me, I jumped up and grabbed his shoulders to retrain him. His talons dug deep into my shoulders, blood rising to surface as he attempted to break free of my hold. I however, refused to give in and pushed hard against his shoulders to drive him into the wall. His mandibles flared and a string of alien words cursed at me.

He shook, trying to get me to let go no doubt, and Marco pushed against me several times with power far greater than my own. I let go this time, and ran into the living room in an attempt to lure him after me. Luckily, he followed and Marco was quick to gain on me. I jumped over the step in the kitchen, heard him trip over it and dashed onto the nearest leather couch. Nikolas was sitting upon the couch, growling at me warningly. "I won't hurt him." I promised, and the Varren seemed pleased as he lowered his head onto the couch.

Marco jumped over the couch, gripping my arms as he forced me down. My body screamed to run, to kick and flee from the Turian as his dark eyes seemed to thirst for violence. I was staring up at his plate covered face as he pinned me against the couch, talons digging into my wrist until blood ran down my arms like my shoulders were.

"Marco! Marco stop!" I pleaded, my eyes blurring with tears at the pain he was causing me. "Marco stop it! It hurts! Please stop!" I screamed right in his face, only to get no answer other than a growl.

He forced me down further on the couch, the leather practically absorbing me with it. "Please Marco! Stop!" He growled, talons dug deeper into my wrists until I feared they would simply break. Nikolas let out a series of growls and jumped off the couch. I could just see him bite into his master's pants and tug at him. "Please! Stop!" I cried. His right hand let go of me wrist, and instead wrapped itself around my neck. My legs kicked at him, my promise to Nikolas forgotten as he started to strangle me. My now free hand pushed at him with as much strength as I could muster. Blotches and dots swirled in my vision, dark and red as if to sucumbe me. "Marco... Please!" I gasped.

The rage washed away from his eyes, quickly replaced with what I could almost place as shame. He let go of me, pulled back from me, and gazed down at his slightly bloodied hands. "I'm... I'm so sorry..." Marco refused to look at me, as I recover my breath. "I don't know what... No I know what took over me. I just... I can't control myself like I used to. I'm so sorry I've hurt you. I didn't want to!" He apologized, talons cupping his head as he lowered it. Nikolas looked at us, dumbly as he seemed to forget the just happenings in the apartment.

My breath had finally returned, a burning sensation running down my throat and shoulders, my wrists were practically on fire. "You weren't in control of yourself... It's alright." I said, and touch his shoulder gently. "I forgive you Marco." A small smile crossed my face despite myself. He'd nearly killed me and yet here I am trying to comfort him! Something must be wrong with my head, or maybe I'm sincere. I felt something gripping my hand, and quickly recognized the weight and feeling of Marco's hand. I looked down, and sure enough he was holding my right hand where it had rested.

Something flashed in his eyes as I saw what he was doing, and Marco practically jerked away. "I'm sorry... Let me. Let me get you some more medi-gel for you." He got up, and quickly walked to the bathroom to get another tube. I stayed on the couch, Nikolas watched me with his wide black eyes and then walked up to me. He nudged his muzzle under my hand, earning a laugh or two from me and then followed after his master. When Marco returned, the pain had dulled but I could still feel it. The grip he had had around my neck was startling still around, a small blaze where his talons had been. "Here, want me to do it again?" The dark chocolate brown Turian offers, and I nod my head in acceptance.

While he applies the grey magically healing goop to my small injuries, my body flinches unexpectedly as his talons grew close to my neck once again. "I won't hurt you... I won't hurt you ever again." He promised me with a steady gaze, and I slowly relax as he rubs the goop to my neck. Once it's all applied he pushed the same buttons as before and swiped the orange light glove over me. The quick surge of fire and then coolness that followed was relieving, as I was certain the wounds were closed now.

He sat down beside me, silence quickly fell around us and Nikolas returned to his little bed on the other side of the living room to sleep. As Marco looked down at his hands, a sense of unease practically radiating off him. I wanted to help him, that despite it all he had still taken me into his home, fed me and patched me up. I owed something to him, even if it meant simply cheering him up. "Hey... So you never did answer my question." I started, breaking the silence.

Brown eyes looked at me with blatant confusion.

"To where that door in the dining room leads." I clarified. A gleam filled his eyes, as if grateful to have something to talk about other than what he'd just done.

He got up, as if ready to lead me there right now. "It's my room, nothing special but hey a Turian's gotta sleep right?" Marco chuckled, the sound of claws scraping against metal was quick to inform us both that Nikolas had decided to follow us.

The room was incredibly large, or at least in comparison to the other rooms. A bed was on the far side of the room, against the wall. There was a sleek black blanket on the bed; which was big enough for three Marcos. The walls were a deep blue color with a margarin of green running along the base of the wall. But mostly to my surprise, there was grey carpet all across the floor; a nice relief to my bare feet.

_Wait... Bare feet?_

I looked down at my feet, and sure enough all I saw was smallish dirty bare feet. Absentmindedly I wiggled my toes, grinning foolishly at the simple amusement until I felt someone gazing at me. Hot with embarrassment, I turned around to look at the rest of the room. I spotted another hanging TV screen and a dresser just below it. Adjacent to that was a wall with pictures acros it. There was several of them, some of places that looked like other worlds, some of Marco, a few with Nikolas in them, another Turian I didn't know but had a large resemblance to Marco and another with two Turians and a Human. I first asked about the solo Turian. "Marco, is that-"

"Razarin? Yeah. The only picture I have of my father. He wasn't much for photographs." Marco cut me off, eyes quickly dashing away from the picture. The only viable difference between Marco and Razarin was the elder of the two was slightly paler, and had bright blue eyes rather than brown. I looked at the next picture that caught my eye, the one with the Human and Turians. "You know you look a lot like your father?" I said, as I inspected this image.

"Yeah.. I guess so." He smiled a bit as he walked over to the bed, "Though I got my mother's eyes."

"This her?" I asked, pointing our the picture I was looking at now. The two Turians were obviously related, and the taller no doubt the mother. She had pale cream scales and even later skin. She lacked the fringe stuff the male Turians had, and her body was no where near as bulky as them as well, her chest however was equally flat. Brown eyes practically jumped off the image.

"Yeah." Marco responded, not even having to look at it to know what picture i was talking about. "The Human is Marco." The Human male was short next to the Turian female and slightly on the chubby side. Pale skinned with curly black hair and a little mustache growing, he seemed about thirty in the picture. A tiny Turian stood between the two, holding their hands with a grin so wide it was humorous. Judging from his scale color and markings, and not to mention the other people in the picture, it had to be Marco.

I smiled faintly at the picture, "You looked so happy..." I remarked quietly, but he apparently heard me.

"Yeah that was me and my family. I was happy back then, before the Blue Suns became stronger here." The dispair and wistful pain in his voice was enough to clench my heart. But I knew better by now than to comfort him with sympathy and pity.

Stepping away from the picture wall, I walked over to where he was sitting on the bed. There was a desk on the other wall, a little machine on top with keys and screen. A chair was tucked underneath it with a scattering array of books atop and on the nearby ground. "Nice place you got here." I said casually, small talk was quickly dying between us.

"I was Marco's..." He said tiredly.

"What time is it?" I asked, looking for some way to figure it out. Marco moved his right hand back to his left arm, that orange glove of light appeared once again.

"One in the morning." He yawned.

I started sputtering. "What!? That late?" I gained a chuckle from the Turian.

"More like that early." His mandibles twitched in amusement. I spotted a flash in his eyes, as if realizing something I wasn't exactly aware of. "You're probably tired, considering the kind of a day you've had." Marco said as he began to get up.

Not bothering to stifle a yawn, I grinned as he rolled his eyes playfully. The Turian grabbed one of the two pillows and the black blanket. Oddly enough there was a white blanket already tucked and ready upon the bed.

He left the room with them in hand, Nikolas and I both followed closely behind. He quickly made his way back into the living room, and looked quietly at the couch we had... Fought upon, and walked over to the longer one. He quickly made a bed on the couch, and turned to me. "I'll be sleeping here. My bed should be plenty nice to give you a good nights sleep."

"Thank you but I refuse to kick you out of your own room." I responded.

"You're not Athena."

"Yes I am!" My voice rose higher than I would have liked.

"No you're not!" He snapped.

We stared at each other for a few tense moments, before both of our eyes dashed to the couch as if in joint memory. I ducked my head, muttered "Right... Thanks, night." and dashed back to his room.

* * *

"Did you sleep well?" Marco asked me in the morning as I walked out into the living room.

I yawned, stretched my arms outin front of me and smiled. "Yeah, thanks. I hope the couch wasn't all that bad." I said, still feeling rather bad about taking his room for the night. It simply didn't.. sit right with me.

His mandibles flared with laughter. "It's more comfortable than you would think." He said as he folded the black blanket into a thick square. When he moved away from the couch I realized that while he was wearing the same pants from yesterday. He lacked a shirt.

My cheeks grew hot, I couldn't stop the deep blush that sprung across my face before it felt like a small blaze he no doubt saw. I diverted my eyes to the panting Varren beside his master's feet. The sound of cloth sliding over something made me look back up, and I was quite relieved to see a shirt now covering Marco's torso.

"So uh," I cleared my throat, "what's the time now?" I had looked out the window in the dining room on my way over. But much to my confusion, it was still as dark as it was hours ago.

"Eight-thirty." He was putting pellets of food in a metal bowl. Nikolas's stub tail bursted into a fit of wagging as he watched his master place out his food. The moment his master's hands and feet were clear, the Varren pounced upon the food. "I leave for work at eight-fifty. Up to you if you want to come along. I work at a shop not far from here in a lower market on the central level of the station." His subharmonics were still rather strong despite the growing distance as Marco moved about getting ready. He practically ran into the bathroom, leaving the door open as he did so and rummaged through the cabinet.

"Your boss won't mind?" I called after and walked up to the door frame. Having nothing better to do, I leaned against it, arms crossed as I simply watched the Turian in his morning routines.

"Not at all," the Turian chuckled, "I'm the boss."

"Really?" I respond, admittedly shocked and impressed by such a statement.

"Yup. It's a family run store. Seeing how I'm the last living Lotz around, I get to be my own boss." There was a slight sad tone to his voice as he started brushing his fanged teeth. Once that was done, took a damp towel and started wiping his face plates with it. Once again to my shock, the white markings I had thought either natural or tattooed on, simply came off.

"That's face paint!" It wasn't a question really, in truth it was an exclamation. And one that made my new friend laugh for a few minutes. Once he was done laughing, Marco expertly recreated the exact same pattern that had just been on his face. The moment he was done, he dashed out the bathroom towards the back. I looked around, unsure of what to do until the whispering suggestion of cleaning up in the bathroom came to me. I stepped in, shut the door, and looked at myself for what might as well have been the first time ever. The mirror, which was extremely large, was also illuminated from something I couldn't see. As I gazed at myself, I had to admit I was stunned.

My skin was a deep tan and looked natural, but was covered in dirt and grim I no doubt accumulated in the allies of Omega. Dark, curled hair was matted and turned into a big bunch of knots that tangled around me all the way to my waist. My face was rather small, eyes looking a little to big given the hollow way my cheeks sunk in. While my teeth were straight and the milky brown shade of my eyes looked nice, I couldn't help but feel slight arch of my dark eyebrows kinda killed whatever I had going for me. Being the lady I was, I couldn't resist taking a step back to inspect the whole look and shape of my body.

_Hispanic._

The word formed in my head and I didn't really know what it meant. But something... stirred inside of me, like pride or something. It couldn't be a bad thing than right? Perhaps it was part of who I was, a key to a puzzle.

"You about ready?" Marco called through the door, quickly dragging me back to reality.

"Uhm, just about!" I called through the metal door, and quickly found a towel I could use. There was absolutely NO way I was going out and looking_ like this! _I soaked it in water, rung it out and began to scrub myself practically raw in an attempt to clean off the most obvious and worst parts of the dirt. Which of course meant starting with my face. I finished up as quickly as I could, not wanting to run my generous friend late and opened the door. My face was probably red, my arms and legs as well.

In truth, I didn't care.

I opened the door, and there stood Marco with his arms open and holding something. In one hand was a shirt and pair of pants, all nice and folded and in the other was a dress. "If you want to come along, I think you could use a fresh pair of clothes..." He trailed off, indicating the torn, tattered, dirt covered rags for clothes I currently had on. Perhaps it was good that my skin was so red, because I felt a blush of embarrassment take me over that I was almost grateful to have had to scrub myself raw. I looked absolutely terrible! I gazed at the two options for a moment, and then looked at Marco himself to compare. The shirt and pants would probably look to casual compared to the nice tunic he was wearing, and the dress might even help bring in customers. So I took the dress with a nod, and stepped back into the bathroom to get dressed.

It was latex, or close to it, and a white color with a green stripe down the center. It was rather hard to slip into, but the little wrist sleeve connectors between the index finger and thumb were nice and useful. The high-collar bone was somewhat annoying at first, until I figured out how to position it right. Once it was actually on, it was surprisingly comfortable. I was about to step out when I realized I needed to do something with my hair. Of course the hairless alien wouldn't have anything to be used for my hair, so I looked at my old rags and smiled as an idea filled my head. I tore a piece off, the cleanest I could find, and wrapped it around my hair after I pulled it into a 'ponytail' best I could. It certainly looked better than knots and tangles all over the place.

I stepped out of the bathroom, only to be handed a pair of heel-like shoes. They looked more like boots to me. I took them, slipped them on, and smiled at the Turian. "All set to go then?" He asked and I nodded in response. "Great, lets get to my car!" Marco said nervously, and practically jogged out of the apartment. Nikolas followed after him, only to stop at the door and lay down to sleep. I followed after him, the sound of the door locking behind me almost startling me. Marco was waiting for me in the elevator, a foot tapping as he watched me move as quickly as possible in the shoes I wore.

"How far is your store?" I asked once inside.

"Not that far... We _might_ just make it." He said, the elevator door closed and then our descent began.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I'M ON A ROLL!**

* * *

Chapter 4

To get to Marco's store we had to park a bit aWay in a skycar lot near some huge club. The word Afterlife was plastered in redish orange letter signs. The roof slanted upwards towards a metal and rock ceiling. Ridiculously loud music blared out the club as some scantily dressed Asari danced on an ever changing screen on the roof facing out. There was a rediculously long lime outside, but then again considering the culture of the station, maybe I shouldn't be surprised.

For some reason though, I wanted to go in.

Marco led the way to a door that once opened up revealed a whole market place. And another apartment area to the right of us. Directly in front of us was a large crowd, surrounding a new (to me) alien on a box. He was pretty much Human in his build, but his face couldn't have been more different. He had four eyes and rows of firm wrinkles, he was also completely bald. I stared at his nose for a few moments, it was unlike anything I'd ever seen.

He was raving, sputtering about how Humanity was like a poison to everyone, that we needed to die and return to our own system. Suddenly he turned to me, pointing with a mad rage, and sneered at me. "You are a blight on all of us! Evil, vile, and must be destroyed! Look upon this lesser race friends, can you not see the vile impurities within her? The end is neigh and races like Humanity will bring our downfall!"

I didn't know what to say, or what to do. What was I supposed to do as someone persecuted me like this. I tucked my head to the side, closed my eyes and simply tried to ignore him. But his words continued, not just against me but any other passing Human. I suddenly felt someone grabbing me, and looked up to see Marco pulling me against him. A frown covered his face as he yelled at the alien harshly and swiftly took us both away. "Don't listen to a thing he says, that Batarian's crazy." Marco growled in my ear as he led me to his shop.

The store was a little stand like shop for over-the-counter sells. A machine with an orange screen a multiple number scrolling across it rested on the counter. The name of the shop, which made me chuckle was 'Lotz of Guns' and was proudly displayed above the shop. Marco jumped over the counter, and instantly began unlocking crates and the such. I walked around through the little half door on the side. No sooner than we'd both gotten in and Marco turned on the 'open' sign did a group of men walk over.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Marco tense up at their approach. Not customers then. They each were dressed in blue armor with white decorative half circles on the front, and each of them armed with a gun of some kind. The two back men were wearing helmets of some kind, while the Turian up front wasn't. There was a moment of awkward silence while the new, lighter plated Turian with a bare face simply looked at the tense Marco before each of the new arrivals snickered.

"Missed you last night." The stranger Turian growled dark, his dark eyes fell on me and he simply gestured as he continued, "Getting yourself some fun were you?"

Marco let out a snarl-like sound as he replied, "I don't behave like you Jaroke. Some Turians actually have honor and dignity." He spat back. The two men in back laughed, much to Jaroke's obvious annoyance. He whirled on them, a look of pure hate seething off him before he turned back to Marco and I.

"Did you like your gift? Hope the apartment floor was soft. 'Less she let you crash at her place." Jaroke said, indicating me once again. I snorted defiantly at him, but found myself stepping away from the counter slowly. Marco moved towards them, mandibles flared open as he looked at them. Jaroke chuckled, leaned against the counter and whispered something to Marco far to quietly for me to hear. Marco froze, eyes wide at the words spoken to him, and pushed back with reluctant obedience.

"How may I help you boys?" Marco asked with a faked smile and false joy.

Jaroke grinned darkly, he'd obvious won this little conflict. "How about four-hundred thermal clips, the best rifles you've got, and a few M-6 Carnifexes." He grinned, "On the house."

Instantly I stepped forward, right hand slapping down on the counter in outrage. "And just how is he supposed to get by if he gives you all that for free?" I was as much in Jaroke's face as I could, forehead about four inches from his mandibles. I glared up at him, right into his blood-chillingly dark eyes, and simply waited to see what he would do.

Jaroke's mandibles twitched, his left hand started reaching towards me. "You've got quite a mouth on you. Perhaps you should use it for smarter things than yelling at a Blue Sun." I slapped his hand away, disgust making my face crinkle up at his attempt. The Turian narrowed his eyes at me before he attempted to touch me again, this time however he was far to fast for me and his talons were around my throat. Instantly the face of Jaroke twisted until all I saw was Marco as he was last night. I panicked, and pushed and pulled at his talons desperate to break free. He laughed, sick and twisted as he threw me down onto the metal floor.

As I caught my breath on the floor, I could see Marco getting back into a fight with the Blue Suns. I looked up, eyes glazed and breath short, someone was standing off to a distance. "You nearly got yourself killed!" It shouted angrily at me. I blinked, and it was gone. When I looked back at the counter, it was only Marco there._  
_

He was sitting on the ground, head down as he muttered something to himself. Dizzy, I tried to get his attention, but when I did I was horrified to see blue blood dripping down from his mouth onto the ground. "Marco!" I gasp and shuffle over to him best I could in the dress. He glared up at me, and looked away to the counter where a customer was waiting for someone to attend to their purchases. "Marco..." I whisper as he got up, refusing to look at me. I watched in dispair as Marco wiped the blood from his face and smiled at the customer.

"Welcome to Lotz of Guns. How may I be of assistance. We've got a wide selection of weapons for your purchase at reasonable prices." He greeted them. I got up, looked at Marco's back as I silently pleaded for him to speak to me. He didn't, and simply pointed for me to bring him a gun for the customer.

I obeyed in silence.

* * *

"I'm sorry..." I apologized after Marco had closed the shop. He looked back at me, still refusing to say a word. "Stop it!" I shouted at him, drawing the attention of nearby aliens. Marco turned to me, a frown on his face as he finished locking up the last of the crates he stored his weaponry in. "I don't understand why you refuse to talk to me! I was just trying to help you!" I shouted, tears were welling up in my eyes despite myself.

"Athena cut it out." He retorted and jumped back over the counter to leave his store without waiting for me.

I took off after him. _No you're not doing this! _I caught up with Marco quicker than I thought I would and grabbed his shoulder to turn him around. "Marco! I don't know what half of these aliens on this station even _are! _You think I know when I'm not supposed to try to help the very person that's been so nice and generous to me!" I yelled, hot tears slipped from my eyes despite my best attempt to hold them in. He looked at me, cold and unresponsive for such a long time I feared that I might have placed my trust in the wrong person.

I let go of his shoulder, stepped back as I tried to figure out if I've been a fool this whole time. Marco stretched a hand out after me, I could see the confusion in his eyes as he tried to figure out what was right. But a feeling in my gut had me running, and next thing I knew I was outside Afterlife with someone shouting after me.

_I can trust him! I can trust him! I have to trust him! _

I stopped running after I practically crashed into a giant grey alien that stood on it's hands and feet. It said something to me, but I wasn't paying any attention to it. My vision blurred as I tripped over something, and landed on the ground with a loud crash. My legs screamed at me in rebellion, and I simply crawled over to a wall and sat against it sniffling.

How do I know I can trust him? Sure he's taken me into his home and fed me and patched me up. But some of those injuries he himself has caused or was involved in. _He's nearly killed me!_ Obviously Marco has some anger problems, but where else can I turn to? I can't survive on this station by myself. I could mistake an animal for an alien, or get myself killed. Is the risk with it?

_Yes._

_It has to be._

_I have no one else._

The sound of footsteps approaching drug me out of my mulling. A taloned hand landed on my shoulder, and Marco suddenly sat down on my right. He didn't say anything at first, simply looked at me as I tried to get the tears running down my face under check. A small white cloth was offered to me, and as I looked at it with confusion Marco rolled his eyes and wiped my face clean with it.

"Athena... I'm sorry. I know I seem like I'm just being mean and stupid right now don't I?" He said after a long while of silence. "It's just... I'm scared. That's not something a Turian admits very easily. I'm scared for you Athena." He looked at the passing-by aliens and muttered a few words under his breath. "Damnit Athena you just don't understand."

"Understand what? That you refuse to tell me everything and yet expect me to just simply know?" I growled at him.

"I forget you don't know this stuff. I'm sorry. But Omega isn't a place exactly safe for someone like you. There's politics here that you'd simply have to have become accustomed to from living here. And you haven't and I'm sorry that it seems expected of you. The Blue Suns extort anyone they can, and they're not the only gang here that does it. The Blood Pack and Eclipse are two other mercenary gangs that are big here on the station. The Talons are another one, but they're not all the strong. Yet anyways. The biggest gang here though is Aria's." He said, and looked up at the club not far from us and the long line outside it. "In there resides Aria T'Loak. Remember her?"

I sniffled a bit before I answered, eyes still red from the crying I wished I hadn't done. "Yeah. She's the ruler here. You said she IS Omega."

Marco nodded his head. "Correct, and seeing how she's the top dog around here; crossing her path is foolish. All the gangs around here are trying to be the one in charge, but Aria has managed to make her it for hundreds of years now I believe. She lets the smaller gangs do what they want so long as it doesn't mess with her business. They play along, but we all know what they really want. The Blue Suns right now are working there way towards becoming actual rivals to Aria. That's why they've picked up their extortions and why I've been forced into giving them supplies like that for free." He explained. "Which is also why you need to let them do it. You're no hero Athena, you've got your skills sure but all you'll end up doing is getting yourself killed." He looked at me, and I could pick out the small details on his face plates.

He was actually worried.

"Alright, I won't try to stop them next time." I promised.

Marco awkwardly pulled me into a brief hug and then looked at the passing by aliens. I watched with him, not a word shared between us for quite a while until I noticed another Turian without face paint on. "Marco why do some Turians have face paint, like you do, and other's not?" I asked, considering so many Turians had similar paints on it couldn't just be for style.

"These markings are a symbol of where we come from. Either as our home colony or home world. They represent our origins and after a war a while back we decided to start doing this. Those who don't have any face paint on, like Jaroke, are called 'bareface'. They are not to be trusted and usually are criminals." Marco then added with a hint of humour, "Or politicians."

For some reason that earned a chuckle from me, and I smiled lightly at the Turian sitting beside me. Perhaps I can trust him. At least for now.

"Lets get home." Marco said, and got up form where he had been sitting beside me. He helped me up, and we slowly walked back towards the skycar with his arm around my shoulders to support me.

I guess I should trust him.

* * *

Marco and I had returned to his skycar after about twenty minutes of travel. Once the door was open, Nikolas came charging straight forward in a mad rush. He ran around us in the entrance way to Marco's apartment, growling up at storm until he ran back in to the living room. "Marco...?" I questioned, slowly following the suddenly alert Turian into the living room.

There was someone sitting on the couch, and instantly Marco turned the lights on. It was a Turian, female with tannish plates and dark brown eyes. She also had a simple blue face paint across her nose and mandibles. "Dar'le!" Marco laughed, and quickly made his way over to her to hug her. I awkwardly stood aside as they hugged, held hands, and touched their foreheads together. Once they were done, I waved shyly at Dar'le only to be greeted with a cold glare.

"Dar'le this is Athena. Athena, Dar'le." Marco said, practically oblivious to the hostile way Dar'le was looking at me.

"Hi... Dar'le." I said awkwardly, I had no clue what I'd done to upset the Turian. She growled slightly at me, making my insides churn. "Okay then..." I dropped my hand.

"Marco what's she doing here?" Dar'le asked of Marco, practically ignoring me like she was Nikolas.

Marco scratched the back of his crest almost nervously, "Well, I found her last night in an ally. There was a couple gang fights around and she looked like she was hurt. So I brought her home and..." He drifted off, realizing that it sounded likeI was a lost pet he could just take home, nurse back to health and keep forever.

"Well she looks healthy to me." She sneered, still acting as if I wasn't standing right there in the room.

"Yes, I am feeling better today, thanks to MArco." I said firmly, forcing her to acknowledge me. Her cold gaze practically froze my bood over.

She narrowed her eyes and stepped a bit closer to me, "Then leave. You're not freeloading off of Marco." Her height granted her the easy ability of looking down at me, which probably made her think she was better than me. She was trying to intimidate me, and Marco simply stood there not knowing what to do. I stepped back, hands balling up into fists. I probably looked like she was scaring me.

She wasn't.

"Dar'le, she's not freeloading. Athena worked with me at the store today. She was a big help in fact." Marco finally stepped up to defend me from his girlfriend's hostile threats. He stood between us, trying his best to stop one of us before we attacked each other. After a moment of simply glaring at the other, Marco took Dar'le by the shoulder and led her to the kitchen to talk with her privately. I stood there, angry for quite a while.

Not knowing what the heck to do, I simply walked back out the door, into the elevator and punched the number for the lobby. There was no way I was going to simply wait for them to stop fighting over me like I was Nikolas. As simple to get rid of and as forget about. I wasn't going to be talked over and simply pushed aside. There was no way I was going to be able to convince that Turian of anything right now. I just... I needed to get away from them. I needed to be alone but not, in a crowd where no one will care about my face or my name or that I can't be judged because I don't know the specifics of the station.

I was going to Afterlife.


End file.
